Texas measles outbreak: Answering questions about vaccines and the disease
The measles outbreak in Texas has quickly grown to 146 cases. One child has died. NBC News answers readers' questions about the disease, vaccines and government response.
An outbreak of measles in West Texas brought a grim milestone this week, when officials reported the first measles death in the U.S. in a decade — a school-age child in Lubbock who was unvaccinated.
Nationally, 164 measles cases have been reported as of Wednesday, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All but 5% of those cases are in people who are unvaccinated or whose vaccination status is not known. The Texas outbreak, at 146 cases, makes up the majority of the national total.
A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine at a health center in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 27, 2025.Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP - Getty ImagesThe outbreak has grown quickly since it was first reported in early February, renewing concerns about measles elimination in the U.S. and who is safe from infection. NBC News solicited audience questions about the outbreak and the virus via the @NBCNews Instagram broadcast channel; the answers are below.
The standard response to a measles outbreak is to isolate infected people, find out whom they’ve been in contact with and provide vaccines to people in the area who aren’t up to date on theirs. Anybody exposed should be tested and monitored for symptoms for up to 21 days after exposure. For those who are not vaccinated, receiving a measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot within 72 hours of exposure can prevent or lessen the severity of the disease.
Normally, the first dose of the measles vaccine is given to babies when they are 12 to 15 months old, followed by a second at 4 to 6 years old. But during an outbreak, doctors sometimes administer a dose to infants as young as 6 months. Babies younger than that and people who are severely immunocompromised can get an antibody injection within six days of measles exposure.
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